Sony has revealed pricing for the PSP-3000 model in European and Japanese territories. But in a move that has us scratching our heads here at PSP World, Sony will be pricing the newer model slightly higher than the existing hardware that it is intended to replace. In Japan, the PSP-3000 will launch on October 16 for the price of 19,800 yen ($180 USD). In Britain, the new model will cost £149 ($263 USD), which is about 15$ higher than the current slim and lite version.

While a brighter screen and built-in microphone are cool improvements, we can’t understand why Sony would price the PSP-3000 about $16 higher in Britain. If anything, we were hoping for a price drop for the PSP to help compete with that other, less expensive, portable system. According to Sony Europe Boss David Reeves, the only price cut that European consumers can count on might be a short-term discount on the older slim and lite units to help clear them from shelves before the launch of the new hardware.

Will PSP owners still make the switch up to the new model, even with a higher price tag?